Cerebral Palsy Party 2014 Day 1: The Beginning

           So  its   that time of year  again.   Its the  third  month  of the year  which  means   its  time  to  GO  Green  to  celebrate  Cerebral  Palsy.    This  is  the  lead up to  March  25 which is  National Cerebral Palsy   Day  in  March for people  in the  United  States .



  I  thought  it would be soo fun  to post  pictures   from   yesteryear  every   week  day  this month along with some  guest  posts  from  people that have known me thoughout   the years  to   really show  you   what having CP  is  really like.  Its  going to be  fun.  Somedays will be   a photo  while others  will be  multiple.   Its  going to be  awesome.      I can not wait.   Before  we get to the  photos  here are somethings you can do   to support  CP  Awareness Month.


 Online
Switch  your  Facebook  profile pictures to one of these.
  Follow  AZ Chapman  on Facebook link  on  the left .

  Leave a comment  on this blog  and come  back   all this month.

   Offline  
Get    this shirt for  March  25.  You  need  to  order one  of these   this week.
  Tell a friend about this  blog and CP.
    Stick around for more activities  that you can do with others to show them what CP  is like.


So  without futher  ado  here we  go.



      Why  not start at the very  beginning .  According to   The  Sound of  Music  its a   very good  place to start :)
  These  photos  are  from  the  day  I was  born.

         September 6, 1991 

  The Day I  was  born 

   One of the first  photos  I have of myself.  I was a cute baby 

  My  dad,  my big  brother (  age seven)  and  me

     

Able to go to College - Episode 18 : The End of the Year

    After     two  years,  this is the last episode of able to go to college.  you  got to  go  out with a bang  so  this   episode  is really  long.  If  you have   7  mintues   pull up a chair and something to  drink  and hit play,

         


 The  main  reason that I  made  Able to go to College was  back in high school I  was so scared of  college.   I thought college was this big  abyss   and  I knew that I was no where near ready to go. I was  wrong.


    Yeah   College is different than High school  no  doubt about that but  it  not   a scary place.    I  will be honest though  college  poses  new challenges  to students with disabilities.  There are no IEP that  ensure an individualized education, but there is still  help,  The key is  to find the right people.  I  feel  so  blessed  to have been  lucky  enough to  attend my community college.  There  program  is phenomenal   They  did everything in there   power  to make  me successful.  They advocated  for me  and   I  felt that   they   truly  valued   me.


  Were there instances  where  I  felt discriminated against?  Yes.  There  were also processes set up for me to   voice my concerns.  I got along with most professors, in fact  one of them ,Prof D, I  joking call my body gaurd.  Its a   inside  joke  between the two of us,

  Prof D  and  AZ   Summer 2013 

     If you are  reading this and   have a disabilities and want to go to college but may be a little scared.  Don't  be.   Surrond yourself  with  a  group of people that believe in you.   Do not let anyone tell you what  you have to do  when your adult( esp  if  they are not  part of your family).  Never  give up  and  always  Follow your  dreams.      Because you  only have  one life to live.



  Have  questions  feel  free to   ask in the comments or email me

 azchapman1991@gmail.com

Able to go to College - Episode 17 : Shoulder Hiker

 On this episode  my bio class takes  a fieldtrip.  Its a great  trip  that is a lot of fun.   Unfotunatly   I ran soo fast that I fell in the 100  meter dash.  You  might remeber  me mentioning it here.   That was not my  finest moment.  The  important thing is that  I   got up and  kept on running.


      On the hike  I  was kinda nervous but  once I commited myslef to  going on the trip  I  did fine.   Just like  in college.   If  I am   ready to do something I  will do  a great job.



 The    final  episode will be  posted   tomorrow.  You do not want to miss it

Able to go to College - Episode 16: Party time

      There are only two more videos after this one !!!   The last one is  so special  you  do not want to  miss  it.



           So  now  its   part time at  DSPS.  I  know  I have said this a thousand  time  over but   this campus  has a  great disabilities  program.  They  have a whole team of people that  work  hard  to make sure that  I, along with any other students  who have  disabilities succeed.    They have audiobooks  computer programs and  more all with the purpose of helping  students succeed.   There program is  so  good.   They  took me in with all my behavior problems  and    improved my self esteem   Actually going to this college really improved my  self esteem.  I was able to make  Dean's List  and  graduated  with honors.    Not bad  for someone who  was terrified of  going to college.    I learned the  hard way that not all  university are supportive of students with disabilities, which  makes me  appreciate  this  college even more


 One  of the   best ways they  help people  with disabilities   this  is by  hosting  parties,  like the one you see  in the video.  I  remember attending  one of these  parties when  I  first started college  in  the fall of 2010.  Back then  I was  so scared about  attending university  but seeing other disabled students made me feel  less alone.


 This  school  has  been the most inclusive school  I have ever   attended

  Better  than

   pre school

  private elementary  school  (Pre -K -1st)

 public elementary school  (2ed -  5th grade)

  public  middle school     6th -8th grade

  Public  high school  (9th-12th) grade


  Its  my seconed  home.  Even though  I graduated  in  May  I always go   there to visit.   I love it  that  much.

Able to go to College - Episode 15 : Stage and No Sleep

       

   On this  Episode  I  get an award for receiving the  Echo  Smart Pen.  I   remember this day  it was a fun day  because I was being  recognized  for something good.  The  Smart  Pen  really  helps  me out in college.  Its a great  learning tool  for   students  with disabilities.

    Also  on this episode  I got no  sleep  because  I had to pull an all nighter   It was  well worth it though because  I  ended up getting  a hundred  percent on  the  bumble  bee  project.    Yeah   the bumble   bee  project  isn't  just about   looking for  honey  bees   we had  to  compile  a  report siting our findings.    This  teacher and I  are still  in contact.  He  gave  me a  great letter of recommendation 

Dear Pete Schiff,

 My  family  has a weekday   night time tradition watching the  Daly Show  and  the  Colbere   Report.    Due to the   State of the  Union  Adress  it was not  on  when  I went down  stairs.
  So I was dishearten   when  I   saw the following clip .


    I  really  hated  the last  part.  It felt like  I  was being  punched  in the gut.    You  see  I am 22 years old  and  live  with a developmental disability.     I have  Cerebral  Palsy.

  No  I  do not have  a  intellectual  disability that is  the  proper  term  now  not  the  R  word .  Although  if you met  me    you might think that I do  because  I have a speech  impairment  and  drool  at  times.   But  it  still  hurts  what   Pete  said.     I do not  respect  him   enough to  use his  last  name.

      In  the spring of  2009   I had a school  meeting  at which  time  a  job  coach  sat  across the  table  from  me and my  mother and  recommend  that I    work at Safeway,  most likely  working  for  pennies a  hour, and live in   a group home.   He  had said this    despite the  fact that I was in my second semester of   Advanced  Placement    United States  History,  which  I  ended up   passing the AP  test  with  a three.    I was a junior at the time, so  when senior  year rolled around  I  was scared  of    leaving  high school.   Can  you  blame  me?    I did not  want  to  do it and I  assumed that  the  job coach was right because he  worked in the field and knew me.  Senior year   I  had to work   one of those jobs and I hated.  I  got a pay check   but was   unaware of the  low  wages.     To this day I am scared  of working a  entry  level  job.      Its not  fair .  I  want to  get   off  social  security,  you see that is where the money comes from   but its hardly enough to live off of.


        After   high school,   I  decided to  attend  a  community  college and  I  excelled in those classes. I  got  good  grades.  I  got so many that when  I   graduated  I was able to graduate with honors.   Thats  right a  person  who  was   predicted  to  work  for   pennies  a hour   went on to graduate with honors.   I am not  worthless.  I  attend   university  where  people   did not   respect    me and    am  currently on a leave of absence to  care of my health.


 The  world  is not set up for  people with disabilities.       Colleges  do not  know how  to  included  those with developmental  disabilities and  thanks  to the loophole in  the Fair  Employment Act    the jobs  that  societies  expect us to do barely  pay  us  anything.   Disabled  people have  feelings  and   we want   to  be include  in life.      We can  be  tax  payers,  some  people   may need help  paying  taxes but they  can  still  pay   them.  We  do not need   to be  dependent on the    government.


  Oh   and  our  founding  fathers   said  this  about  people.


   "  We  all  hold  these  truths to be self  eve dent that all  men  are created  equal."   Ring a  bell.   If not  look  in the Declaration  of  Independence and  maybe then you will  find a  heart

Able to go to College - Episode 14 : Bus Basics

  So this weeks  episode is all about taking the bus.    One  of the hardest things about     leaving high school for me was a fear of  taking the bus.  I thought I was not ready to  take pubic transit and  I was not  too trilled about  taking   para transit.   I eventually  got on the bus  and  have not looked back  sense.  At this time  I do not drive so  taking the bus  is my token to independence when  my parents or siblings are not home.


  Speaking  about tokens

             Around here there are a lot of  different options for paying  a fair.     You can pay  two  dollars a  trip, in cash or  coins.  You can use  a  token, which  you can see  in the video, or you could  use  a card that  acts like a  credit card.  I use  tokens  to   take the bus,  they are quick and  easy or  when   I can not find them  I  use dollars.



  Thanks   Ms. Parks
 

Thanks  to  Rosa  Parks     I can  sit anywhere on the bus.    That is  true  but for some  reason  the bus's  disability  seats,  which  i  sometimes  sit in but not always,   are in the front.  The first day of university   I met a guy with Spina Bifida  on  the bus who  just happend to be  a  big  Nintendo  fan.   We have  been  pals  ever  since







 got  images  from


  Tokens
http://nationalticket.com/siteimages/Tokens.jpg


   Rosa  Parks
http://www.okaloosa.k12.fl.us/djj/Technologykp/Blackhistoryweb/BlackHistory/rosa.jpg